It would appear porn entrepreneur Michael Lucas is doing more to bolster Israel’s gay tourism than the country itself. Tel Aviv, the nation’s second-largest city with 400,000 residents, spent just $13,000 last year on marketing itself as a queer travel destination. That’s going to change, with a 10X budget increase for 2010. But it’s their newest initiative that has us impressed: a gay tour bus that’ll traipse through Europe promoting Israel’s homosexual image.

“The Tel Aviv Municipality together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the gay center are working on a plan to purchase a bus which will shuttle between gay festivals in Europe and promote Israel’s international image,” reports Y Net. “According to the plan, the bus will transport Israeli dancers, play Israeli music and serve as a marketing platform for Israel and the branding of Tel Aviv as its national gay city. Festival goers will be offered Israeli food and will get a chance to watch Israeli films on board the vehicle.”

Get Queerty Daily

Subscribe to Queerty for a daily dose of #israel #telaviv #tourism stories and more

12 Comments

California_One

I know gay guys in Palestine. Israel has built a huge wall around were they live. They are basically trapped and imprisoned within it.

While I complain about the denial of equal rights, its nothing like what these guys face in being both Palestinian and gay. No Israeli soldier is going to shoot at me should I want the basic freedom to travel about.

oncloud9

wheres Israel?

March 5, 2010 at 10:03am

hardmannyc

I’ve heard Tel Aviv has great gay nightlife. It also has some nice beaches. Israel is an amazing country. I remember seeing Crusader graffiti in a cave and my Israeli friend thought that was no big deal — too recent.

March 5, 2010 at 11:03am

hardmannyc

“wheres Israel?”

I hope you’re not as ugly as you are stupid.

March 5, 2010 at 11:03am

Mustgowork

@California_One: Problem is that a lot of Palestinians spontaneously combusted once in Israel. Some went to spontaneously combust in markets, others in restaurants, still others in clubs full of young people.

March 5, 2010 at 2:03pm

jonny

Until Israel stops it’s apartheid policies towards arabs it does not get one cent of my money, travel or consumer dollars. Justify it’s actions until you are blue in the face, call me an anti-semite, whatever… it’s a discriminatory regime plain and simple. I refuse to help it out in any way shape or form.

March 5, 2010 at 5:03pm

zenflo

Tel Aviv is a great destination — vibrant, diverse, a feast for all the senses.

A tolerant country, by and large. But if you think other regional states fare better, then by all means boycott Israel.

In fact, why not file a report for Queerty from, say, Iran? If you’ll pardon my gallows humor, you’re in for a swinging good time.

March 5, 2010 at 5:03pm

Paschal

We shouldn’t think that Israel is great simply because it’s not as bad as its neghbours. Its government’s treatment of civilians is disgusting. If the Germans did the same to Jews as the Israeli Government is doing to Palestinians AIPAC would go crazy. Of course the actions of some Palestinians towards Israeli civilians is also disgusting. I’m a person who thinks that it’s wrong to treat your fellow man like animals. It’s time that both the Israelis and the Palestinians who are involved in conflict to stop and co-exist as neighbours.

March 5, 2010 at 7:03pm

zenflo

No. 8: “If the Germans did the same to the Jews…”

If?

You are literally out of your mind.

March 5, 2010 at 9:03pm

Paschal

@zenflo: I’m not out of my mind. I should have written ”Germans today”. Sorry. Indeed if any group of people treated Israelis today similar to how some Israelis treat Palestinians the U.S.A. would probably try to invade. People seem to be afraid to criticise the actions of the Israeli Government out of fear of being labelled anti-Semitic even though not all Jews agree with Israeli foreign policy. You may be opposed to an action taken by the U.S. Government, for example, yet I wouldn’t label you anti-American for simply criticising policy. I ask for the same to be true when people criticise Israel. It should be easy to differentiate between genuine criticism of Israeli Government policy (that’s me) and people who simply are anti-Semitic.